The Drum Beat 63 - The Communication Initiative

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In support of your work please see below. Includes: network / shared learning / custom, expanded and keyword search / planning / change theories / quick lists / Latin America / América Latina / communication communities / drum beat / media beat / social change / strategic thinking / home page / your web site search engine registration / consultants / vacancies / events calendar / training / DRUMS
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Chairperson of Partners Group - Denise Gray-Felder [Rockefeller Foundation]
Director: Warren Feek wfeek@comminit.com
Web Site: http://www.comminit.com

This Drum Beat is an update on the support from The Communication Initiative [C.I.] for your work. The FOCUS of The C.I. is support - to improve and expand the much needed power of communication for positive development. The PRINCIPLE of The C.I. is interaction - to harness the power of the new technologies to help you reach the people and knowledge you require to make the improvements you want in your work.

ACCESS

1. NETWORK: 9,000 people and organisations are in the network/database. Requests to join, through the subscription facility on the web site, average 80 per week. Email Warren wfeek@comminit or subscribe on the home page http://www.comminit.com

2. WEB SITE USE: So far in 2000 use of the web site has included 131,211 visitor sessions [23,020 in August 2000], through 21,112 distinct/unique hosts [8,997], making 641,000 page views [96,175] with users from 132 different countries [114 ].

SHARED LEARNING

3. Looking for other Programmes throughout the world which may prompt ideas and/or from which you can learn? Looking for Impact Data that demonstrates the value of initiatives such as the one with which you are involved? Seeking data on Communication Trends that might suggest programming and partnership opportunities? Searching for people working on similar Initiatives for support and insight? There is an extensive database [over 2000 pages of summarised information] of materials with contact people.

4. CUSTOM SEARCH: Click on the combination of GEOGRAPHY, DEVELOPMENT ISSUE, MEDIA, STYLE, EVALUATION and TREND codes that match your interests/needs. Scroll down and click on the "SEARCH by CATEGORY" button. Click here.

5. EXPANDED SEARCH: A one-stop search of the C.I. site plus 65 other sites. Follow the procedures above and click on the "Search The C.I. site PLUS related sites" button. Click here.

6. KEYWORD SEARCH: Access on most pages on the site.

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Presentation of search results now includes the key paragraphs relevant to your search. Suggest improvements to the search process. Email Chris Morry cmorry@comminit.com

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7. PLANNING - 57 planning modes in summary form. Choose the one you like as the basis for your communication planning - click here. Please send your favourite planning model to wfeek@comminit.com

8. CHANGE THEORIES - 27 change theories in key point format. Review these theories to decide changes that may improve the effectiveness of your communication interventions - click here. Please send your favourite change theory to wfeek@comminit.com

9. QUICK LISTS - need to quickly review a field of work - try the 26 quick lists: Advocacy, Community, Entertainment, Disasters/Emergencies, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Gender, Rights, TB, Violence/Peace, Dialogue/debate, Horizontal Communication. Suggest new quicklists - email wfeek@comminit.com

10. COMMUNICATION COMMUNITIES - 6 communication chat fora, integrated with email: NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, STRATEGY, CONSULTANTS, WEB-DEVELOPERS AND EVALUATION. Will be re-energised in late September. Seek to provide mutual support on common interests.

11. THE DRUM BEAT - Propose items. Contact Deborah dheimann@comminit.com
All Drum Beats are archived and filterable - click here - and will show up in general searches.

12. THE MEDIA BEAT

NEW AND EXPANDED

13. SOCIAL CHANGE - reflects the growing interest in communication for social change principles and practice. Suggest communication for social change initiatives, theories and impact data. Email Warren -wfeek@comminit.com

14. EXPANDED EVENTS CALENDAR - more events listed and a specific search process for the calendar - search for specific themes or places.

15. FASTER HOME PAGE - home page 'trimmed' for faster download times particularly on slower modems - click here. What is the down-load time on your computer? email cmorry@comminit.com Suggest changes to the home page design - email Deborah dheimann@comminit.com

16. AUTOMATED SEARCH ENGINE REGISTRATION OF YOUR SITE - one of the most taxing problems in managing a website is registration with the search engines. Metamends, the company of C.I. web site designers Todd Hooge and Jonathon Schlackl, has a unique, automated, dynamic process for identifying relevant keyword metatags, registration, review and re-registration on a continual basis. C.I. user sessions are up 30% since using this system.

17. MORE CONSULTANTS - now information on 123 consultants with a specific search engine so that you can quickly highlight consultants with the skills and knowledge you need. Consultancy opportunities notified to us by organisations are very rapidly communicated to this network. Consultants wishing to be part of this network or organisations seeking to identify a consultant please email wfeek@comminit.com

18. More VACANCIES - We have now included 167 Vacancies. [8 new in the last week.] Use within the international development community is growing. Guided by The Partners in The C.I., we are introducing a charge for the Vacancies service. This is flexible to take into account the differing circumstances and financial capacities of many organisations. Please share with your Human Resource/Personnel staff [if you have them] and contact jsavidge@comminit.com for details and discussion.

19. New COMMUNICATION COMMUNITIES - later in September we will commence communication chat communities that focus on specific issues. These may include separate processes on HIV/AIDS, maternal health, child rights, rural development, environment and gender. What would you add? What are your priorities? Are you interested in facilitating a community? Email Warren wfeek@comminit.com

20. STRATEGIC THINKING options - 22 insights into the strategic thinking of people and organisations seeking more effective communication strategies. Suggest papers and presentations - click here. Contact Warren wfeek@comminit.com

21. Communication Initiative para América Latina: Co el apoyo de la FUNDACIÓN ROCKEFELLER, la ORGANIZACIÓN PANAMERICANA DE LA SALUD, y el BANCO INTERAMERICANO DE DESARROLLO estamos diseñando la página de Communication Initiative para América Latina. La página tendrá información disponible en español y portugués y el proceso es liderado por Adelaida Trujillo de Citurna Producciones y Rafael Obregón de Universidad del Norte. Nos complace invitarles a enviar informacón sobre descripción de programas, datos sobre evaluación, modelos de planeación, teorías de cambio, futuros eventos, información sobre consultores, empleo y cualquier informació que consideren útil, proveniente de organizaciones y experiencias llevadas a cabo en América Latina. La página incluirá versiones del Drum Beat y del Media Beat. Nuestra intención es promover un proceso de enriquecimiento mutuo entre la página global y la página para América Latina. Pueden enviar información a Adelaida a citurnas@cable.net.co y a Rafael a robregon@guayacan.uninorte.edu.co

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Estaría su organización interesada en apoyar Comunnication Initiative para América Latina? Por favor contacte a Adelaida Trujillo a citurnas@cable.net.co y a Warren Feek a wfeek@comminit.com para discutir los detalles de su participación.

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22. TRAINING - If you are organising a Training event, for which you are seeking to recruit participants, we will list this in a TRAINING section which is soon to commence on the C.I. web site, and inform the network. For details, contact Janice jsavidge@comminit.com

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We are looking for visual ways for the web site to reflect the range of cultural settings in which the products of The Communication are accessed and used. Please send photos of DRUMS from your CULTURE, preferably with stories about their history, use, symbolism and any distinct features. Of course, if you wish to send an actual DRUM, that would be great!! Contact Warren wfeek@comminit.com

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The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

Please send material for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com

To reproduce any portion of The Drum Beat, see our policy.

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